Biochemical detection of pyrethroid resistance mechanism in Aedes aegypti in Ratchaburi province, Thailand.

The emergence of insecticide resistance in mosquito vectors was an important issue to be considered as one of factors influencing the success of vector control. The early detection of resistance could help the health personnel to plan and select appropriate alternative control measures or insecticide for effective control. Therefore biochemical assay of enzymes in mosquito was conducted to detect the emergence of insecticide resistance and to define the machanisms involved in pyrethroid resistance. Adults of Aedes aegypti from two localtities in Ratchaburi province were subjected to permethrin and deltamethrin selection in laboratory. After three generations of selection, permethrin-selected and deltamethrin-selected strains were established. Their LT 50 increased to 7.46 and 1.18 folds in the F3 strains that were selected with permethrin and deltamethrin respectively. The enzymes of these mosquitoes were assayed biochemically to study the mechanisms of resistance. The results revealed significant increase of esterase activity and monooxygenase levels in both strains when compared with labolatory susceptible strain. Glutathione-S-transferase activity was found to increase in permethrin-selected strain but not in deltamethrin-selected strain. This suggested that not only esterase and monooxygenase but also glutathione-S-transferase were associated with permethrin resistance in Ae. aegypti. The exposing of permethrin-selected and deltamethrin-selected mosquitoes to diagnostic concentration of permethrin (0.75%) and deltamethrin (0.05%) indicated no cross resistance for permethrin to deltamethrin while slight cross resistance from deltamethrin to permethrin was evident. It seemed that glutathione S-tranferase was not associated with cross resistance since its activity in deltamethrin-selected strain remained unchanged as compared with that of laboratory susceptible strain.